Publication Details

Category Text Publication
Reference Category Journals
DOI 10.1186/2190-4715-23-23
Title (Primary) Invasive species in Europe: ecology, status, and policy
Author Keller, R.; Geist, J.; Jeschke, J.; Kühn, I. ORCID logo
Source Titel Environmental Sciences Europe
Year 2011
Department BZF
Volume 23
Page From art. 23
Language englisch
Keywords Alien species; Biodiversity conservation; Biological invasions; Biotic resistance; Impacts of invasive species; Management; Pathways; Policy; Tens rule; Vectors
Abstract

Globalization of trade and travel has facilitated the spread of non-native species across the earth. A proportion of these species become established and cause serious environmental, economic, and human health impacts. These species are referred to as invasive, and are now recognized as one of the major drivers of biodiversity change across the globe. As a long-time centre for trade, Europe has seen the introduction and subsequent establishment of at least several thousand non-native species. These range in taxonomy from viruses and bacteria to fungi, plants, and animals. Although invasive species cause major negative impacts across all regions of Europe, they also offer scientists the opportunity to develop and test theory about how species enter and leave communities, how nonnative and native species interact with each other, and how different types of species affect ecosystem functions. For these reasons, there has been recent growth in the field of invasion biology as scientists work to understand the process of invasion, the changes that invasive species cause to their recipient ecosystems, and the ways that the problems of invasive species can be reduced. This review covers the process and drivers of species invasions in Europe, the socio-economic factors that make some regions particularly strongly invaded, and the ecological factors that make some species particularly invasive. We describe the impacts of invasive species in Europe, the difficulties involved in reducing these impacts, and explain the policy options currently being considered. We outline the reasons that invasive species create unique policy challenges, and suggest some rules of thumb for designing and implementing management programs. If new management programs are not enacted in Europe, it is inevitable that more invasive species will arrive, and that the total economic, environmental, and human health impacts from these species will continue to grow.

Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=11453
Keller, R., Geist, J., Jeschke, J., Kühn, I. (2011):
Invasive species in Europe: ecology, status, and policy
Environ. Sci. Eur. 23 , art. 23